The present invention relates to medical injectors suitable for use with medication which must be injected. More particularly, the invention relates to a disposable credit card sized injector, suitable for carrying in a wallet or pocket.
The use of medical injectors such as syringes is well known in the medical arts. However, there is a problem in that such injectors cannot readily be carried on the person of a user, due to the risk of breakage and the lack of appropriate safeguards to protect a casual or unsophisticated user.
For example, glass vial syringes are susceptible of breakage. Further, cylindrical medical injector like syringes are too bulky to carry in a pocket, let alone to carry inside a wallet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,258 issuing to Terry Haber on Feb. 15, 1994 discloses a multipharmaceutical delivery system for simultaneous delivery of two or more pharmaceuticals through a pivoting needle. The overall shape is similar to a credit card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,546 issuing to Michael Allen on Nov. 17, 1998 discloses an electronic assay device for determining the presence of one or more selected analytes in a sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 5, 832,488 issuing to Silvio Eberhardt on Nov. 3, 1998 discloses a computer system and method for storing medical histories using a smartcard to store data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,910 issuing to Stanley Sarnoff et al on Nov. 27, 1984 discloses a dual mode automatic injector with a safety position.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a convenient medical injector which is easy to carry and safe to use, is inexpensive, disposable and can be carried in a pocket or even in a wallet of a user.
From the foregoing, it is seen that it is a problem in the art to provide a device meeting the above requirements. According to the present invention, a device is provided which meets the aforementioned requirements and needs in the prior art. Specifically, the device according to the present invention provides a convenient medical injector which is easy to carry and safe to use, and which can be carried in a pocket or even in a wallet of a user.
More particularly, the medical injector according to the present invention is useful for carrying pharmaceuticals including, but not limited to, epinephrine, insulin medication, anti-nerve gas agent, snake bite anti-venom, heart medications, allergy medication, and various emergency medications such as atropine and lidocaine.
The medical injector includes a safety guard, a housing formed of a first casing portion secured to a second casing portion. A pair of hinge portions provides pivoting motion of a safety guard. A window may be provided to observe the medication fluid stored within the wedge shaped reservoir. The safety guard protects a pusher bar from accidental actuation.
The pusher bar is not attached to the housing, and is free to move relatively thereto. The pusher bar is connected to a column which passes through an aperture in the stationary bar. The column is connected directly to a wedge-shaped member which carries a needle.
A spring means is disposed between the stationary bar and the pusher bar to resiliently bias the pusher bar into a non-dispensing condition. The wedge-shaped member is shaped to conform to a wedge-shaped recess formed in the lower casing portion, and the medication fluid is disposed in the space between, the wedge-shaped member and the lower inclined portion of the housing. This space is thus a precisely defined volume, containing a precise amount of the medication fluid.
A resilient sleeve is disposed in a bore formed in the bottom portion of the housing for protecting a needle. The needle is fixed into the wedge-shaped member. The needle passes through the rubber or plastic sleeve when the pusher bar is depressed to cause movement of the wedge-shaped member. When the pusher bar is depressed, the needle penetrates through the resilient sleeve, and extends beyond the bottom portion of the housing.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.